John Romano: Who are the faces of America's biggest sports markets?

The recent departures of Evan Longoria and Gerald McCoy and Nikita Kucherov's recent crowning as the NHL's MVP got the folks in the Tampa Bay Times Sports department wondering: Who is the face of Tampa Bay sports now?

I think it's Steven Stamkos, and it's probably not close.

But what about the other U.S. sports markets (and Toronto) that are our size, with at least three franchises in North America's traditional four major league sports? This is not a scientific list. We did not check Q ratings, sneaker sales or endorsement deals. This is not a comprehensive list. We did not call experts or monitor Google trends.

This may not even be a smart list. But we're hoping it's a fun, quick and (barely) informative list of the faces of sports in other markets with at least three of the major professional sports leagues.

Atlanta: Matt Ryan

Check back in a few years, and the choice could be Ronald Acuna or Ozzie Albies of the Braves. But for now, the town still belongs to Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Matty Ice has more than a decade at the helm, and is starting to creep into some NFL top 10 passing lists.

Boston: Tom Brady

Zdeno Chara is a team captain, 7-time All-Star and a Stanley Cup winner, and he doesn't come close. Mookie Betts won an MVP and a World Series last year and he doesn't come close. For now, and maybe forever, Tom Brady is the face of Boston sports. Six Super Bowls and the most wins of any quarterback in NFL history will do that for you.

Carolina: Cam Newton

Good gosh, how did Carolina even get on this list? Let's see, they have an NFL team. And they have an NBA team. And an NHL team. Hmm, I guess they do belong. Do you know stars in Carolina? We'll go with Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Chicago: Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews

Lots of choices in the Windy City. Kris Bryant was the league MVP the year the Cubs won the World Series and is still in the prime of his career. Khalil Mack helped revitalize the Bears last year. But we're going to split our vote between Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. They both joined the Blackhawks as teenagers in 2007, and have won three Stanley Cups while becoming fixtures in Chicago.

Cleveland: Baker Mayfield

Can Cleveland still claim LeBron James? Because, for all the success the Indians have had in recent seasons, neither Francisco Lindor nor Corey Kluber seems like the answer. With all the excitement building around the Browns, the best answer may be quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Dallas: Jerry Jones

Jerry Jones is the George Steinbrenner of the NFL. A powerful, outspoken, meddling owner of one of the most iconic brands in sports. Casual football fans may not be able to pick star running back Ezekiel Elliott out of a crowd, but they would recognize Jones.

Denver: Von Miller

Tough call here. Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is one of the best players in baseball and is rapidly building a Hall of Fame resume. But the same could be said for Broncos linebacker Von Miller. A Super Bowl MVP gives the nod to Miller.

Detroit: Steve Yzerman

Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown and back-to-back MVP awards will forever earn him a place in Detroit lore, but his career has been fading for several years. Now that Steve Yzerman is back in Hockeytown USA as the Red Wings general manager and all-around savior, we bow to his Detroit popularity.

Los Angeles: LeBron James

How big is LeBron James? He's only been in Los Angeles for one forgettable season, missed the playoffs, saw his coach fired, watched Magic Johnson leave the franchise and he's still the biggest star in town. Bigger than Clayton Kershaw, bigger than Jared Goff.

Miami: Cori "CoCo" Gauff

These are not good times in Miami. The Dolphins haven't won a playoff game since 2000 and the Marlins haven't had a winning season since '09. The Heat faded without LeBron, and the Panthers have been so-so. The two biggest names in town - Dwayne Wade and Roberto Luongo - both recently retired. So let's give Miami a break and let the city claim Delray Beach tennis sensation Cori "CoCo" Gauff.

Milwaukee/Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers' star has fallen a bit in recent years, but it's still hard to beat a Packers quarterback with a Super Bowl title.

Minneapolis: Sid Hartman

You have to understand Minnesota sports to understand the influence of Sid Hartman. An early executive with the Minneapolis Lakers, Hartman began working as a sports writer in 1945. And now, 74 years later, the 99-year-old Hartman is still writing and wielding influence at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.

Nicholas Legeros, CC BY-SA 3.0

New York: Aaron Judge

Not sure if it says more about the town, the sports or the personalities, but it's beginning to look like 27-year-old Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has replaced two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning as the biggest star in the sports world's biggest city.

Philadelphia: Joel Embiid

The City of Brotherly Love is in, shall we say, a transition. The biggest name on the baseball team, Bryce Harper, has been a disappointment in his first few months. The Eagles quarterback, Carson Wentz, missed the only two postseasons of his career. Can 76ers center Joel Embiid really be the most beloved star in town right now?

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby

Ben Roethlisberger could be a strong choice, but off-field issues can't be ignored. That leaves Sidney Crosby, who may not finish as high on the NHL scoring list as once envisioned, but he's been a model citizen and a three-time Stanley Cup champion.

Phoenix: Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald is a rarity these days. A star who has remained in a relatively low-profile setting for his entire career. The Cardinals receiver is second in NFL history - to some guy named Jerry Rice - in receiving yards.

San Francisco: Stephen Curry

Thanks to Kevin Durant's defection, we don't have to answer the question of whether he was more beloved than Stephen Curry in the bay area. (For the record, he wasn't.) Giants catcher Buster Posey might have some claim on the title, but Curry is bigger nationally.

Toronto: Kawhi Leonard

This is a basketball town, right? The Blue Jays look like they're heading to an extensive rebuild and the Maple Leafs have been stuck in neutral for years. So let's hear it for Kawhi Leonard, even as he takes his NBA ring and bolts for the Clippers.

Washington., D.C.: Alex Ovechkin

Thanks to owner Daniel Snyder, the Redskins haven't had a true superstar in years. The Nationals just lost Bryce Harper and we're not even sure if the Wizards are still in the NBA. That leaves hockey beast Alex Ovechkin and his Stanley Cup memories.

Watch this discussion.Stop watching this discussion.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

!!!CHANGES TO ONLINE COMMENTS — PLEASE READ BEFORE
POSTING!!!Effective immediately, all comments will display the
user's FIRST AND LAST NAME rather than a screen name. Anyone
with an existing account that did not provide a first and last name
when registering will be required to update their profile before
submitting a comment. AGAIN - YOUR ACCOUNT MUST INCLUDE A FIRST AND
LAST NAME!

Keep it Clean. NO obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or
sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything.Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Comments that include verbal
attacks of another commenter will not be posted.Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts.Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.